Events for November 15, 2024 - November 15, 2024

Free HIV & STI Express Testing for East & Southeast Asian gay, bi, queer cis and trans men and nonbinary folks 服务同志男人和 跨性别朋友 Dành cho nam Đồng tính và Chuyển giới 남성 동성애자 분들과 트렌스젠더 분들 위함 Results within 24 hours for all screenings. Register at the front desk.  International students welcome. Date: Tuesday November 8 Time: 6:00pm-7:30pm Location: HQ (790 Bay St, 8th floor) 免费 无需预约 欢迎国际留学生 Miễn Phí Hoan nghênh du học sinh 무료 예약 필요 무 유학생 환영합니다 For more info, contact Ryan at men@acas.org

Sex EducAsian is our monthly sexual health workshop at HQ for East & Southeast Asian gay, bi, queer cis and trans men The topic of this month’s session will be Sexual Racism faced by the Asian community. There will be a short introduction and icebreaker followed by a discussion led by our student placement, Marcus. Participants will be able to share their experiences, what sexual racism is to them and how it may affect them. HIV & STI Testing will be available with priority for Asian LGBTQ folks tonight. Come on in for free and quick testing! Date: Tuesday November 8 Time: 6:00pm-8:00pm Location: HQ (790 Bay St, 8th floor) No registration needed, just come by! For more info, contact Ryan at men@acas.org

👉 When: Saturday, 12 November 2022 👉 Time: 10am (ACAS) or 11am (Serena Gundy Park) - 2pm EST 👉 Location to meet: ACAS office (260 Spadina Ave, Suite 410, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2E4, Canada) OR Serena Gundy Park (58 Rykert Crescent, East York, ON M4G 2S9) by the washrooms Take a field trip to Serena Gundy Park and take a short beautiful hike up Wilket Creek Trail to the Toronto Botanical Garden and enjoy the scenery. Afterwards a shopping spree at everyone’s favourite store OOMOMO! Meet us at 10AM at ACAS, 260 Spadina Avenue, Toronto to commute together, or meet us at Serena Gundy Park at 11AM by the washrooms to walk up together. This event will take place in-person starting at Serena Gundy Park, then up to Toronto Botanical Gardens (45 min walk), then over to Oomomo (20 min walk). We will meet at the ACAS Office to commute together via TTC at 10am, and folks can meet us at the park at 11am.  As such, this is not the most mobility-friendly event, though ramps and alternative pathways should generally be available.   Please dress appropriately, as it's projected to be rather cold, and feel free to bring snacks and a water bottle! Social distancing will be mandatory, and this is (as much as possible) a scent-free space.  This will be a sober event for the safety of everyone, including folks who may be triggered by the presence of substances. If you have any questions or concerns, please email Dany at youth@acas.org. See you soon~!

Asian Night is back at Spa Excess! Cum to relax, meet new guys and have some fun. Our volunteer team will be there to create a welcoming and friendly environment while getting you connected with resources on PrEP and HIV/STI testing. Date: Thursday, November 17, 2022 Time: 8pm-11pm Location: Spa Excess (105 Carlton St) Join our bathhouse volunteer team by emailing Ryan at men@acas.org

👉 When: Saturday, 19 November 2022 👉 Exhibit Viewing: 5 - 6pm EST at Artspace Gallery (401 Richmond St. W, Suite LL106) 👉 Virtual Artist Talk & Dinner: 7 - 8pm EST at the ACAS office (260 Spadina Ave., #410) REGISTER AT: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfS7MnZgvmZXyMjpqUdnQSZiaRmYDagzmuIwDd8Dn94Js-m1Q/viewform Queer Asian Artist Beau Gomez has invited members of ACAS's QTAY/Youth Program and Men's Program to view their exhibit at Artspace Gallery, and has kindly agreed to an artist talk after! El Angel presents close corners and encounters in a piercing and introspective display. Throughout the exhibition, storytelling is embodied through an array of audio, and still and moving imagery. This work unveils the nuances of Asian queerness at a crossroads with upbringing, kinship, desire, and disclosure. It examines the possibilities of conversation and dialogue, and the personal and public normativities that shape even our most intimate revelations. With the artist as documenter and his subjects as collaborators, the stories woven throughout El Angel reveal their lived realities: all of it as freeing, restrained, celebratory and painful as they come. Participants should be able to arrive at the Artspace Gallery (401 Richmond St. W, Suite LL106) anytime between 5-6pm on Saturday, November 19th. After 6pm, we will walk as a group (10 minute walk) to the ACAS Office (260 Spadina Ave., #410). While some food and drinks will be provided, this will also be an opportunity for folks to grab dinner before we call Beau on Zoom at 7pm to hear him speak more on his work. Masks and social distancing will be mandatory, and this is (as much as possible) a scent-free space. This will be a sober event for the safety of everyone, including folks who may be triggered by the presence of substances. If you have any questions or concerns, please email Dany at [...]

QUEER ASIAN JOY is a project that sparks joy in being queer/trans and Asian. This is a series of classes to learn fan dance styles from various cultural regions in Asia without the segregation of gender. Registration required to reserve your spot in the classes: https://forms.gle/JLS3kEaawQP1n8NH9 These classes are for queer and trans East, Southeast, and mixed Asian folks across all genders along the 2SLGBTQ+ spectrum and for all ages ranging from 18 to 60+. Filipinx Fan Dance with Candace Kumar (Oct 9 & 16) Chinese Fan Dance with Jeffrey Chan (Oct 30 & Nov 6) Vietnamese Fan Dance with Kim Trang Tran (Nov 20 & 27) Dates: Sundays Time: 12pm-2pm Location: Star Dance Centre (Sheppard & Yonge) Address: 4750 Yonge Street, Unit 326, 327 & 331, Toronto, ON M2N 0J6 FREE, no cost! We have space for 20 people per class. Each cultural style will be taught in two classes. You must attend both classes per style. There will be a one week break in between each style before the next set of classes start. You can sign up for 1, 2 or all styles. Please arrive on time. Each class is 1.5 hours with extra 15 min before and after to give time for people to arrive and leave. If you have more questions, please email Ryan at men@acas.org This project was made possible thanks to funding from the Rainbow Grants by the Community One Foundation

QUEER ASIAN JOY is a project that sparks joy in being queer/trans and Asian. This is a series of classes to learn fan dance styles from various cultural regions in Asia without the segregation of gender. Registration required to reserve your spot in the classes: https://forms.gle/JLS3kEaawQP1n8NH9 These classes are for queer and trans East, Southeast, and mixed Asian folks across all genders along the 2SLGBTQ+ spectrum and for all ages ranging from 18 to 60+. Filipinx Fan Dance with Candace Kumar (Oct 9 & 16) Chinese Fan Dance with Jeffrey Chan (Oct 30 & Nov 6) Vietnamese Fan Dance with Kim Trang Tran (Nov 20 & 27) Dates: Sundays Time: 12pm-2pm Location: Star Dance Centre (Sheppard & Yonge) Address: 4750 Yonge Street, Unit 326, 327 & 331, Toronto, ON M2N 0J6 FREE, no cost! We have space for 20 people per class. Each cultural style will be taught in two classes. You must attend both classes per style. There will be a one week break in between each style before the next set of classes start. You can sign up for 1, 2 or all styles. Please arrive on time. Each class is 1.5 hours with extra 15 min before and after to give time for people to arrive and leave. If you have more questions, please email Ryan at men@acas.org This project was made possible thanks to funding from the Rainbow Grants by the Community One Foundation

Join us for the PADENA (Positive Asian Diasporic Experiences in North America) virtual conference--a gathering of Asian* people living with HIV in Canada and the U.S., featuring presentations by Asian PHAs, subject matter experts, service providers, peer workers, artists, activists, researchers, and community members. $30CAD for participation and the spots are limited  Please register here 

Please join our ACAS World AIDS Day. ACAS Support Program would like to invite you to our special intimate gathering to commemorate World AIDS Day and show our appreciation for our donors, sponsors and supporters. December 5, 2022 at Bumpkin's Restaurant & Lounge, 21 Gloucester St., Toronto M4Y 1L8 from 6 to 8 pm For the evening's celebration, we will feature a snapshot of Mindfulness Listening of Love Positive Asain Podcast Tickets: $40 each includes 1 alcoholic drink and fine-tasting hors d'ouevres Buy your tickets at: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/asian-community-aids-services/events/acas-world-aids-day-december-5-2022/ for more information, please email events@acas.org or scan the poster.

 When: Saturday, 10 December, 2022  Time: 5pm to 8pm  Location: 260 Spadina Ave, Suite 410, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2E4, Canada REGISTER AT: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSccckNm514MIpNUfIUf11_oAizfMnLYIkPBwWAX8oYWD2Rm2w/viewform NOTE: We can only have fifteen participants in the office at the same time. If you sign up, please be respectful and let us know ASAP if you can't make it so we can invite folks from the waitlist in. BOARD at home? Join us at ACAS for a fun and cozy night of board games! We have a large selection of games to choose from. There will also be snacks, hot chocolate and holiday music! This event will take place in-person at the ACAS office (260 Spadina Ave, Suite 410, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2E4, Canada), meaning that the number of people able to attend at once will be limited to 15 people (plus two facilitators). As for accessibility needs, there is an elevator available, but it is slow. It generally works, but we will let you know if it is unavailable. Otherwise, there are stairs to get to the elevator in the foyer. Masks are mandatory to attend this event, and this is a scent-free space. This will be a sober event for the safety of everyone, including folks who may be triggered by the presence of substances. [Image Description: On a board of squares with a pink border, there are references to several board games, including Scrabble, Uno, and Snakes & Ladders advertising the event above.]